How to Vote in New Hampshire's 2025 Elections

Residents of Coos County District 5 will vote in a special election for their member in the state House of Representatives. And residents of the Manchester School District will select 14 members of its board. Residents of Concord, New Hampshire, will vote for mayor and city council.

You can register to vote in New Hampshire prior to Election Day at your local clerk's office, although each local clerk’s office has different cut-off dates for when they stop accepting registrations. Check with your local clerk to find out the deadline in your community. All eligible voters can register to vote and then vote on Election Day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 4. Anyone in line at the times the polls close will be allowed to register and vote.

• Monday, Nov. 3, by 12 p.m.:  Deadline for requesting an absentee ballot by mail or email. To request an absentee ballot by email, voters must use their local clerk’s email address, which can be found on the secretary of state’s voter information lookup system. 
• Monday, Nov. 3, by 5 p.m.: Deadline for requesting an absentee ballot in person.

• Monday, Nov. 3, by 5 p.m.: Deadline for returning absentee ballots in person.  
• Tuesday, Nov. 4, Election Day: Polls hours will vary by municipality. Contact your local clerk to find polling hours near you. 

• Tuesday, Nov. 4, by 5 p.m.: Deadline for returning absentee ballots by mail or to have a delivery agent (like a family member) return your ballot for you to your local clerk’s office.

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New Hampshire lawmakers passed a bill in 2025 that required absentee voters to provide the same proof required for in-person registrations. That means absentee voters must now also provide documentation that proves their citizenship, age, domicile and identity. Previously, absentee voter registrants were not required to provide proof of citizenship or age. Without the required proof, an application will be denied, unless they were previously registered in New Hampshire or are currently registered in a different town or ward. Acceptable documentation can include a copy of a photo ID, presentation of photo ID in person at a clerk’s office, or having an absentee ballot application notarized. A list of acceptable identification documents can be found here.

Additional changes to voting laws can be found on the website of the New Hampshire Secretary of State.

• Online: New Hampshire only offers online voter registration if a print disability, such as blindness, prevents you from filling out a form by hand. Call your city or town clerk to request an accessible online absentee registration form and for information about local deadlines. 
• By mail: Registration by mail is available if you have an approved reason for not doing so in person, such as a disability. If you qualify, call your city or town clerk to request a voter registration form. Include a copy of your driver’s license or other valid form of ID when returning your application. You will need a witness to sign your absentee-voter registration affidavit. Check with your city or town clerk for local deadlines. See new requirements for ID documentation here.  
• In person: Fill out a voter registration form at your city or town clerk’s office. You can find your local polling place here. You’ll need to show various forms of ID proving your name, age, citizenship status and where you live. An updated list of acceptable IDs can be found here.  

You can register to vote at your polling place on Election Day. You will be asked to show proof of your identity, age, citizenship status and residence. Bring an acceptable form of photo ID, such as your driver’s license or U.S. passport. Under a 2024 change in law, New Hampshire voters may no longer sign an affidavit and provide ID at a later date — you must have it with you to vote.

You can check your voter registration status using the state’s voter information tool.

You can vote absentee only for approved reasons, such as a disability or a work commitment.

• Online: Only voters who are unable to fill out a printed form due to a print disability, such as blindness, may request an accessible absentee ballot online from their city or town clerk. If you qualify, you may receive and mark the ballot electronically and may return it to your city or town clerk by mail, in person or by having someone drop it off for you. If someone drops it off for you, they must sign a statement on the affidavit envelope. Contact your city or town clerk for more information. 
• By mail: Print an application from the secretary of state’s website, then complete and mail it to your city or town clerk’s office. You can also call your city or town clerk to request a mailed application. Absentee ballot requests by mail must be received by noon the day before an election. But you’re encouraged to apply as soon as possible. 
• In person: Go to your city or town clerk’s office to apply for an absentee ballot, or print an application from the secretary of state’s website and bring it with you. You can request an absentee ballot in person until 5 p.m. the day before an election.  

Place your completed ballot in the inner envelope and sign the affidavit on the outside. If you have a disability and received assistance, the person who helped you must sign an acknowledgment that appears on the absentee-ballot application and on the affidavit. Seal the inner envelope before placing it in the outer mailing envelope. If you’re including absentee-voter registration forms and proof that you qualify, place those documents in the outer envelope before you seal it.

• By mail: Send your absentee ballot to your city or town clerk. It must be received by 5 p.m. on Election Day. 
• In person: Hand-deliver your absentee ballot to your city or town clerk by 5 p.m. the day before an election. A delivery agent, such as an immediate family member, may deliver your absentee ballot for you to your local polling location until 5 p.m. on Election Day. Your delivery agent may be asked to show ID and fill out paperwork to deliver your ballot.

Track your absentee ballot through the state’s voter information portal.

New Hampshire does not have early voting, but if you qualify for an absentee ballot, you can cast an in-person absentee ballot early at your city or town clerk’s office.

Polls are open from at least 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in statewide elections in New Hampshire, but in municipal elections (including Nov. 4), poll hours will vary by community. Check your polling place or contact your city or town clerk. As long as you’re in line before the polling place’s stated closing time, you may cast a ballot.

Bring an acceptable form of photo ID, such as your state driver’s license and U.S. passport, to vote on Election Day. Those without ID will not be allowed to vote, under a new law that passed in 2024.

Each polling place is equipped with an accessible system and voting booth for voters with disabilities. Find more information at the secretary of state’s website.

Voters who need assistance filling in their ballot can receive help from either an election official or someone they choose, as long as that person is not an employer or union official.

You can request to have an absentee ballot and affidavit envelope delivered to your vehicle outside the polling place if you can’t enter because of a disability. Once you’ve completed the affidavit and ballot, an election official will bring them back into the polling place.

In New Hampshire, a clerk may deliver absentee ballots to residents of nursing homes or elder care facilities for the convenience of the residents. Voters with disabilities qualify to vote in any New Hampshire election by absentee ballot.

Editor’s note: This guide was originally published in 2023 and has been updated with new information about voting in the 2025 elections.

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